News and Happenings

Mental health can be murky. How do you know the difference between depression and just feeling sad? What happens when you’re diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but it’s actually something else? On today’s show, we find out. Nzinga’s answers questions about the relationship between mental health, addiction, and medication from two listeners, one with bipolar and the other with borderline personality.

In 2011, Gary Mendell’s 25 yr old son, Brian, died by suicide after struggling with addiction for a decade. As Gary was supporting Brian through his recovery, remission, and relapses, he realized that, unlike other diseases, there was no real place to go for help. No huge foundation funding research. No 5k’s. So in the wake of Brian’s death, Gary created it himself. This week, Nzinga talks to Gary about the formation of Shatterproof, ATLAS (a treatment locator, assessment, and standards platform), and the immense importance of providing evidence-based education, resources, and treatment options.

Tamika Bickham has always loved stories. She used to be a TV news reporter, and now has her own media company to tell other people’s stories. But what is the real story that drives Tamika to jump between extremes in nearly every aspect of her life? This week, tune in to an intimate conversation with Nzinga and Tamika as they get to the root of Tamika’s behavior, then answer listener questions about compulsive dieting, extreme exercise, and restrictive eating.

It can be hard to get a teenager to talk about anything, period. So when it comes to talking to teens about drugs and addiction? Yikes. River, a teacher, wants to know how to talk to her students about addiction, without stigmatizing people who have addictions. And Suzanne, who works in a treatment center and has two teenage sons of her own, is curious why no one talks about difficult emotions and coping mechanisms as addiction prevention. So this week, Nzinga tells us how she talked to her own kids, and she and Claire do another roleplay.

Nzinga has mentioned therapy as a possible solution in every single episode. But that’s easier said than done. There are so many potential barriers: time, money, stigma, shame, and confusing insurance jargon. Plus, once you’re there, what do you actually say? This week Nzinga and president-elect of the Georgia Psychological Association, Dr. Kamieka Gabriel, talk through 5 different scenarios of someone trying to go to therapy and offer some tips on where to start.

Selina was 11 years old when she first started cutting. It was her way to cope with the immense trauma she’d already experienced in her young life. Now, as an adult, she wants to know how self harm fits into the world of addiction. Nzinga and Selina have an intimate, one-on-one conversation about trauma, recovery, and Selina’s own words of wisdom to others in her position. Please note, In Recovery contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

Becca’s step-sister Mindy left home when Becca was just 8 years old. Despite Mindy’s annual appearances and promises to get sober, she always left again. Now, Becca is in her early 20’s and isn’t sure what to do about her anger towards Mindy. Another listener, Katie, had a parent that enabled her brother’s substance use for over 40 years. Now that her parent has passed, Katie is left wondering how to move forward with her brother and let go of her anger towards her codependent parent. This episode Nzinga talks about how we can still hold space for those in our lives who’s addiction’s have caused pain, resentment, and hurt.

When Nicole showed up for a routine colonoscopy, she was shocked when the anesthesiologist planned to give her fentanyl. She reflects on how close she felt to losing the sobriety she fought so hard for. Can you refuse opioids as a patient in recovery? What other options are out there for treating chronic pain? And does “all-natural” really mean “all-safe?” Nzinga answers these questions and more about pain, alternative medicine, and the rights you have as a patient.

After years of relapses, Brent thought his partner was sober…until he found his meth pipe. Nzinga talks one-on-one with Brent to strategize how to be supportive while also working through his fears for his partner’s life. Another listener says, “The only infidelity I fear is heroin and fentanyl” and hopes to set healthy boundaries between her and her partner as they both go through recovery. And what about codependency? Can you be addicted to bad relationships? This week, we’re answering all your questions on love (spoiler alert: everyone’s getting a therapist)

When someone in your family is dealing with an addiction disorder, it’s hard not to feel every painful emotion all at once — anger, guilt, rage, sadness, helplessness. Today we hear from a father who is trying to get his son to accept therapy and a mom who is at the end of her rope trying to break the cycle of her daughter’s alcoholism. So, what can a family do? This week, Nzinga answers questions about how to help those in your family and how to help yourself.